What are Nicholas Carstoiu's passions?

Basketball and Formula 1, music, cybersecurity, fine fragrances and action films, travelling abroad and the sea.

How does Nicholas Carstoiu believe he can change the world?

By building fairer systems so a child's chances depend on their effort, not their address - an idea I draw from sport, where no team wins by leaving its weakest player behind and change comes from people who show up and pass the ball.

Nicholas Carstoiu - Lead Inspire Innovate Impact

Youth Leader·Athlete·Entrepreneur·Writer

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Now live · Beta

TRUST // NO TRUST

Nicholas created and leads TRUST // NO TRUST, a free, interactive digital-resilience platform for teenagers aged 14-18, now live in English, Romanian and French. Built with a student team from the Romanian-Finnish High School, its six modules - from an AI-cloned-voice scam to deepfakes, phishing, fake news and the loverboy method - train teenagers to recognise online manipulation through realistic simulations rather than lectures. It is Nicholas's entry for Lider European 2026.

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Nicholas Carstoiu, Romanian youth leader, student-athlete and writer, photographed outdoors

Welcome

Meet Nicholas Carstoiu.

I'm Nicholas Carstoiu (Nicholas Cârstoiu), a Romanian youth leader, student-athlete and student entrepreneur based in Bucharest. I'm a member of the UNICEF Romania Children's Board and the Bucharest Children's Advisory Council, and since July 2026 Ambassador for Romania at United Citizens of Europe. I study at the Romanian-Finnish High School and build projects in digital education, cybersecurity, media literacy and inclusion.

UNICEF Children's Board Volunteer of the Year 2026 - Young Leader in Volunteering Ambassador, United Citizens of Europe

Get to know me better

Who I am

Five threads, one direction.

Sport

I have played competitive basketball for over 13 years - and now I coach, too.

Leadership

I sit on the UNICEF Children's Board and the Bucharest Children's Advisory Council.

Innovation

I founded HANDIFY and build interactive media-literacy tools.

Writing

I write bilingual op-eds on youth, sport, fairness and mental health.

Impact

Volunteering, advocacy and projects I build to help others.

Talent is everywhere. Opportunity shouldn't be a privilege.

This conviction shapes everything I write and every project I build for my generation.

Selected work

Things I've built.

Innovation · Entrepreneurship

HANDIFY

HANDIFY is a smart-glove startup I founded: a wearable that replaces the computer mouse with natural hand gestures, making everyday computing more intuitive and accessible. The project reached the National Final of GEN-E 2026, the entrepreneurship competition run by Junior Achievement.

Explore HANDIFY → Media literacy · Double winner

The Fake News Factory

An interactive project that teaches teenagers how online manipulation works - by letting them build a fake story themselves, then exposing the techniques. Double winner: the Mème la vérité 2026 competition (Freedom House Romania) and the Grant My Passion 2026 Better World grant (McDonald's Romania).

Explore The Fake News Factory → Diversity & inclusion

I Belong

An interactive lab on belonging in schools: you design a school, make six decisions, and discover that systems - not children - decide who belongs. Selected as a national finalist at the DI_PLOMA AWARDS 2026 - the Diversity & Inclusion Awards run by the Puternici prin Diversitate și Incluziune (OPEN MINDS) Association.

Explore I Belong → Online safety · Education

Smart Online = Safe Offline

A free cybersecurity programme I teach in schools across Bucharest & Ilfov, built around a 200-slide guide that helps teenagers navigate the digital world safely.

Explore Smart Online = Safe Offline →

At a glance

The essentials.

At a glance, Nicholas Carstoiu is a Bucharest student active in youth participation through the UNICEF Romania Children's Board and the Bucharest Children's Advisory Council, Ambassador for Romania at United Citizens of Europe, a competitive basketball player and assistant coach, and the founder of HANDIFY, a GEN-E 2026 national finalist.

Since July 2026 I am Ambassador for Romania of United Citizens of Europe.

I study at the Romanian-Finnish High School in Bucharest.

I have been a member of the UNICEF Romania Children's Board since 2023.

I have been a member of the Bucharest Children's Advisory Council since 2024.

I volunteer with the Romanian-Finnish High School team, Invictus Romania and Asociatia GO-AHEAD.

In 2026 I won First Prize - Young Leader in Volunteering - in Romania, and Second Prize, at the Social Volunteer Gala.

I have played competitive basketball for over 13 years; I am assistant coach at my high school's sports club.

I have taken part in international Erasmus+ exchanges and Model United Nations (BISAAC) sessions.

I am founder & CEO of the HANDIFY project - GEN-E 2026 National Finalist.

I created The Fake News Factory - double winner of Mème la vérité 2026 (Freedom House) and Grant My Passion 2026 Better World (McDonald's Romania) - and the I Belong project.

I write bilingual op-eds, published on EduPedu and other platforms.

My English certifications: C1 (Fordham, New York) and Cambridge (B2, B1, YLE).

FAQ

Questions, answered.

Who is Nicholas Carstoiu?

I'm a Romanian youth leader, student-athlete, writer and student entrepreneur. I combine performance sport, innovation and civic engagement, and I'm a member of the UNICEF Romania Children's Board.

What projects has Nicholas founded?

I founded HANDIFY, a smart glove and GEN-E 2026 National Finalist, and I created the media-literacy projects The Fake News Factory and I Belong, as well as the school programme Smart Online = Safe Offline.

What does Nicholas write about?

I write bilingual op-eds on youth leadership, education, sport and social impact, including youth mental health and equal access to opportunity.

How can Nicholas be contacted?

Through the contact section of this website, by email, or via my LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook profiles.

What are Nicholas's passions?

On and off the court, I live for basketball and for the speed and strategy of Formula 1. I love music, I'm fascinated by cybersecurity, and I have a soft spot for fine fragrances and action films. I'm happiest travelling abroad and by the sea.

How does Nicholas believe he can change the world?

Sport taught me that talent without opportunity stays on the bench - and that no team wins by leaving its weakest player behind. I believe the world changes the way a game is won: not through one hero, but through people who show up, do the unglamorous work, and pass the ball so someone else can score. My aim is to build systems - projects, platforms and a fairer playing field - where a child's chances depend on their effort, not their address. To me, change is a team sport, played one honest action at a time.

What is Nicholas Carstoiu known for?

Nicholas Carstoiu is known for youth leadership, volunteering, basketball and educational-technology projects. His work includes TRUST // NO TRUST, HANDIFY, The Fake News Factory, I Belong and Smart Online = Safe Offline.

What recognition did Nicholas Carstoiu receive in 2026?

In 2026, at the Social Volunteer Gala Romania, he won First Prize - Young Leader in Volunteering (Volunteer of the Year 2026) - and Second Prize - Most Dedicated Volunteer. His projects were recognised through Gen-E 2026 (national finalist), Mème la vérité 2026, Grant My Passion 2026 and the DI_PLOMA AWARDS 2026 (national finalist). He was also nominated for the Tällberg-SNF-Eliasson Global Leadership Prize - a nomination, not a finalist place or an award.

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